Intending to sleep until 10:00 as we don't have and will not have any accommodation tonight in Honolulu, I left the Do Not Disturb sign on the door. I had failed to consider the countless trolley people who would drag their luggage along the paved path right outside our door. The procession began at 07:30.
After checking out of Maui Seaside Hotel we had a snack in Starbucks and read the paper. Following a quick visit to Borders we drove south to Kihei, Wailea and Mekena. We stopped at Ulua Beach and peered at gobies and crabs in rock pools and saw many pollinating bees and a couple of young grouse families. Some orange winged butterflies were flapping around playfully and gliding overhead. We had some clear views of Kahoolawe, Molokini and Lanai as we drove to Mekena.
After spending a further hour in Borders, having a coffee and browsing, I made a purchase of a superb calendar for my cousin, which will make him greener than he already is knowing that we are now in Hawaii.
We returned to Ruby's Diner for an early dinner so we could be at Kahului airport in good time. My eyes practically fell out of their sockets as Ian laughed hysterically. My giant salad had arrived and I lost my breath at the sight of it. When I recovered I immediately asked if I could take some away with me. It was gigantic! I was brought a box and a carrier bag and began to separate my meal into more sensible portions. I would save some for supper later which we could eat while waiting around in the airport at Honolulu.
We refuelled the Oldsmobile and returned it to Avis Car Rental. Then we hopped onto the shuttle bus and checked into our Aloha Airlines flight to Honolulu. Our check in baggage raised no concern today and the procedure was far more friendly than at Kona. Friendly faces and even a laugh from security staff and a sensible request for me to check my boots and on sounding the alarm, a request to remove them. No problems.
Our flight departed at 19:30 and was a fairly comfortable journey, courtesy of Captain Cameron. During the flight Ian brought my attention to the remnants of the sunset. It was electric blue and orangey red like the beginning of yesterday's sunrise at altitude. We touched down at 19:55 and collected our baggage. A slightly confusing, if amusing, situation ensued. As we were about to check in to our next flight to San Francisco we removed our luggage identifiers and disposed of them. Then, as we tried to leave the building we were asked to produce our luggage tickets which were attached to Ian's flight coupon. Of course I went to the bin to reclaim the corresponding baggage tags leaving Ian to realise that the tags attached to his ticket were in my name, not his, so we were both required to produce our identification. Oh well. He was a friendly chap. He also advised us that we wouldn't be able to hang around the interisland terminal building as they lock it up at night. We moved to the US mainland terminal building and having been allowed to roam around the check in counters at leisure we realised we were perhaps the wrong side of something. We manoeuvred to the other side and I stood by the bags while Ian searched for a United Airlines sales desk. He couldn't find one so we decided to pass our check in luggage through the US Department of Agriculture's x-ray machines, a requirement for travelling to mainland United States. Then we joined the queue for economy class and noted that we might be able to get on to the 21:30 flight to San Francisco if we were lucky.
As we waited in the queue the 21:30 flight began to board. We had yet to pass through security check so it was unlikely that we were going to board that flight. Patiently we waited and it became our turn. Our baggage was swabbed and placed in sealed plastic bags and we approached the check in desk only to be greeted with a wince. At 21:20 we couldn't check ourselves in nor leave our luggage because our flight was on the next calendar date. So, how do you check in for a 00:25 or a 01:00 flight? we thought. There didn't seem to be any issues with those. I asked if we would be able to get on the 21:30 flight to San Francisco but it turned out not to be possible as the gates would be closing in 10 minutes. But we got the impression that there were seats available. Our clerk checked to see if she could get us on to the Los Angeles flight at 22:10 but it was sold out. So, our only option was to loiter around until 7 May.
It now comes to light that the check in desk for the morning flights won't open until 05:15. But our flight at 07:00 surely requires us to check in before 05:00? Well, you would have thought so, wouldn't you? It transpires not to be the case in Honolulu. Had we not come to the airport today but stayed in Waikiki until the morning we would have risen early to arrive here at a suitable 2 hour advance check in and found the place deserted! The rules vary by airport. How can you be expected to know the opening time for check in desks?
The major downside to this spectacle is that our agriculture and security checked baggage will not be accepted until tomorrow and we will have to undergo the whole procedure again. The clerk helpfully collected a trolley for us and we shuffled off in search of a drink. We needed to swallow our penultimate antimalarial pills.
The lift going up was full and we wanted to go down. The lift doors closed and I pressed the down button. The lift doors reopened, much to the surprise of the occupiers. I apologised. The lift doors closed. I waited. Then I pressed the button again. The lift doors reopened, again to the surprise of the occupiers. I apologised again and they ascended. Obviously the second lift wasn't operating. Having pressed the button again the same lift appeared and I was pleased that it was now empty.
We continued our search for a drink.
There was nothing.
The toilets we found were locked.
The refreshment cart was packed up.
Across an unlit car park I used the flooded, mosquito inhabited toilet. The only vending machine that was stood outside was happy to accept my money but refused to eject anything from its mouth watering interior. I returned to Ian and the luggage laden trolley without drinks, somewhat angry at Honolulu's complete inadequacy. All of the restaurants were out of our reach beyond the security gate which in order to pass required a boarding pass, which we were unable to obtain because it is still 6 May!
Thirsty and cross I swallowed my antimalarial pill dry and instructed Ian to do the same. There would be no drink for us for a while. I had the beginnings of a headache suggesting that I was a bit dehydrated.
We returned to the United Airlines area which was now completely empty. All the check in staff had left the area. We parked ourselves in the exposed seating area and I removed my contact lenses, preparing for rest. I removed the remains of my salad dinner and we ate up the now tossed contents of the box. I had carefully kept the box upright in my bag except for the moment when I loaded my bag into the overhead compartment of the Kahului to Honolulu flight. We ate it up. A journal writing session followed which was interrupted twice. The first interruption was by a New Zealand man who was surprised to find passengers at the airport. He had just arrived from Auckland and was on his way to Seattle but although he was transitting through Honolulu he didn't expect to reclaim his baggage until he reached his destination. He has been reunited with his bags at Honolulu so consequently doesn't have a boarding pass for his next flight at 08:00 to Los Angeles and he therefore doesn't have access to the refreshment stands either. We had a brief chat about our trip around the world and Mount Taranaki, in New Zealand, where he comes from. The second interruption was from a police officer who informed us that we were sitting in a restricted area. Right. Where was the sign? We politely acknowledged the information and moved on to another identical area, but one that didn't accommodate American airlines. This area is just as well lit, although the lights emit a dimmer orange glow, and it's generally noisier but there are more stranded transitters here and the announcements from the tannoy and the Hawaiian music are a little less frequent and quieter.
I'm gasping for a drink...
Copyright 2003 Helen Fuller. All rights reserved.